JTWood wrote:I had a first in grilling last week. I had to throw out everything I had cooked on the grill because everything was covered in charcoal dust (I don't use gas). Here's what I think happened:

I cleaned my grill of the old ash before cooking, like always. I used the same charcoal brand I've been using for two years, same lighter fluid, and same technique (covered cooking). The only thing I changed was that I opened up the bottom vents on my pit wider than normal.

I understand that the physics of what I did would create an updraft. I actually wanted that to happen. I was hoping my coals would burn hotter with the extra oxygen and that the updraft would create more of a convection thereby cooking the meat more evenly. However, I didnt' think it would create such a large updraft that it would aerosolize the ash.

Have you guys ever had anything like that happen to you? I'd never heard of that happening before.

I cook on my grills about 5 times a week and I can't remember that ever happening to me. Had the charcoal possibly been wet?

Actually, I think this is the bag that got wet one day. Does that matter?